The Associated Press
MEDINA, N.D. - Richie Heinrich, a two-year member of the Medina Fire Department, is ready to fight fires at any time, day or night.
“It gives you an adrenaline rush every time the pager goes off,” he said.
Heinrich, 17, is a student at Medina High School, one of two high school students in the Medina Fire Department.
“I get to help people in a time of distress and get that sense of accomplishment,” he said.
Medina is not the only department that has opened its membership to people younger than 18, said Ray Lambert, North Dakota’s state fire marshal. His division does not keep specific statistics, but he knows of many fire departments with teenage members. It typically happens on volunteer squads in rural areas, he said.
Full Story: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2005/11/27/news/state/106138.txt